Disabled persons who cannot move on their own will often require the assistance of caregivers in leaving bed, or in moving from one place to another. Even if such a disabled person is capable of using a transportation device, such as a wheelchair, additional assistance is still often required. For example, disabled persons will often require assistance in moving to and from a wheelchair, to and from the toilet, and to and from a bathing area. In addition, such disabled persons often require assistance in moving and supporting themselves in the context of receiving physical therapy.
A number of devices exist for lifting and moving disabled persons from one place to another. An example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,188 (“Nordberg”). Nordberg discloses a portable patient moving system that can be erected within a room to form a pipe frame on which a travelling bridge and hoist trolley are mounted. The apparatus of Nordberg permits “complete x, y movement” throughout the room.
However, the apparatus of Nordberg is unwieldy, containing a large number of long pieces that make up the pipe frame. Though technically portable, it is not easily adapted to different rooms of widely varying sizes.
Another example of such an apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,758 (“Samuelsson”). Samuelsson discloses a lifting and carriage apparatus for use in close or crowded environments. The apparatus includes a post, securely fixed to a floor, with a cantilevered arm that allows for both radial and rotational movements of the patient. Although the device of Samuelsson must be fixed to the floor, the operating portion can be removed and installed in another fixed base element at a different location.
The apparatus of Samuelsson is deficient in a number of ways. First, the apparatus of Samuelsson requires the fixing of a base element to the floor. This is sometimes impossible, or inconvenient, depending on the nature of the floor itself, and the location where assistance for a disabled person is required. In addition, the apparatus of Samuelsson provides for radial movement using a single I-beam extending outwardly from the central post. Such a configuration is not easily adaptable to varying circumstances. On the one hand, radial movement beyond the length of the I-beam is not possible. On the other hand, in circumstances where it is not necessary to move the disabled person as far as the length of the I-beam, the I-beam takes up unnecessary space. Also, because the I-beam is cantilevered from the central post, the distance from the post to which a disabled person can be transported is sharply limited by engineering constraints.
Canadian patent application 2,303,619 (“Faucher et al.”) discloses a support structure consisting of two or, optionally, three support legs having floor pads attached thereto for resting on a floor. The support legs further include paddles at their top ends for pushing against a ceiling in order to stabilize the apparatus. The apparatus further includes a crossbar consisting of two telescopically mating rods which slide relative to one another, and carry a trolley on an internal surface of the crossbar (i.e. within a hollow centre of the crossbar).
The device of Faucher et al. suffers from a number of problems. First, to stabilize the apparatus, pressure against a ceiling is required. Under some circumstances, an appropriate ceiling may not be available, depending on the architecture of the building in which the apparatus is being used.
Second, it is often desirable to have access to the trolley wheels without having to disassemble the apparatus. If there is an apparent malfunction, a user will want to have access to the trolley wheels to determine if and how they are the source of the problem. If there is a problem with the trolley wheels, it is often convenient to perform repairs without disassembling the apparatus. In Faucher et al., because the trolley is internally mounted, the wheels are practically inaccessible for inspection and repair purposes.